Finally "Silvers" build thread!! ('78 swb 2wd silverado)

[Driveway Dreams]

Dennis, either keep the covers and paint them up nice! Or you could do something like this from a Nomad the shop I used to work at built. You gotta do away with the Caddy emblem on there though. Just doesn't fit with your truck, you know?

3 of the engine and 1 of the car.

[menace121978]

thanks alot Tork!!! and thanks for the pics Gerald! the caddy emblem has to go.

check it out... got her home yesterday with the help of friends before it started raining i'm going to tear into it today and start cleaning and preping. Ed, start the clock

[begining87]

Great attention to detail! Keep your build dreams alive. Nothing says the build has to be done in a day. Because of your family history and attachment to the truck nothing short of what you want it to be, will do. Happy to see you got the engine and trans match you were looking for from the beginning. Keep up the great work.

[Driveway Dreams]

Rock on! Must feel great to have it at home.
Oh, BTW, the hat is awesome!

[menace121978]

well day 1 w/ the motor. stripping everything off and getting ready for paint. also popped off a valve cover to take a peek in there. really clean!


here's the famous "6.0 stamp picture!"

harness


took the intake off. kinda dirty...

[menace121978]

here i'm starting to tape off all the intake holes and exhaust holes so i can clean really good.


thats where i stopped tonight. i still want to take off the water pump, flexplate and torque converter so i can get it on an engine stand and really go to town cleaning it.

now tell me what you think... i'm just going to clean it up with a ton of rags and towels with carb cleaner. no water... and spray it with an etch primer. what color paint?? ive been tossing around the idea of all body color(burgandy) or even orange? when i say all im thinking heads and block. with all the accesories silver to match the chassis. ideas??

[STOCKISH]

Glad to see you got it home bud. Congrats. I think body color sounds cool. Maybe just the block though and leave the heads silver. Or go all out and polish everything.

[Driveway Dreams]

How bout the opposite...Silver with body color accessories? Just a thought. It would brighten up the engine bay a bit.

[menace121978]

you got me really thinking now buddy. if i remember right Bob was kinda disappointed the red block didnt show good after everything was bolted on..... you thinking the alt., alt. bracket and everything?

[Driveway Dreams]

Exactly. Do your block and heads in a bright silver. Then do everything else in the Maroon. That way it brightens up the engine bay and keeps the colors connected with the truck.

[menace121978]

got a little more done today. finished stripping down the accesories, taping holes and getting a few coats of etch primer on.





took Geralds advice and painted it up with the brightest silver engine paint i could find. (aluminum)

painted the crank pulley too.




turned out really nice and clean looking. i spent at least 6-8 hours cleaning and preping. 1 bummer though i need to get ahold of another cherry picker so i can lift the motor up and clean and paint the oil pan.

[SBTork]

I could bring an engine hoist by for ya, give me a couple hours though

Really nice progress man, im diggin the aluminum finish!

[menace121978]

i tagged and bagged all the bolts i've taken off and taken a ton of pics so i wont have extra parts laying around

i bought new water pump gaskets...

i also wrestled with this damn thing for what seemed like hours trying to get the clutch fan off. i tried every trick i know and still couldnt get it. even bought a strap wrench and broke it!! not sure what i'm gonna do with it yet. if the speciality tool cost as much as a new pump well i guess i'll get a new pump

intake...


also got the returnless fuel rail out of a '06 esky. the injectors look brand new compared to the ones off my intake.


thats about it for now. thinking i might paint the accesories black to match the chassis work and just have the 3 covers painted body color to tie everything in.

please excuse the mess guys... the garage looks like a bomb went off according to my little helper Wyatt. (neighbor kid) and i'm running outta room!!

[v502]

WOoooOW Denice congrats your getting busy my friend the engine looks really nice and clean.
Good choice with engine color i got the same suggestion and i doing it cuz i saw yours .
Thats alot of work for couple of days your the man.

Yeah and a reminder don't get different steering pump lines cuz your old one's will fit to the 6.o steering pump.
It seems like GM didn't change how the pump internals work or lines they just made it look different i using my old fuel lines too.

I get you more details on Monday on what they kept from my old truck and what was needed to be change. Hopefully it will save you some money.

[menace121978]

apprieciate all the info you can pass along!
ive been over on performance trucks and ls1 truck for days and days reading!

[STOCKISH]

If your truck is lowered you will likely want to use a F-body or Cadillac CTS-V oil pan anyway. The truck pan will hang below the crossmember by a couple inches. At least you wont need to paint the truck pan if you go that way. Also, you know the fan clutch is reverse thread right? Hate to see you trying to remove it normally and actually be tightening it. By the way, did I already say I am jealous?

[80chevyshortbox]

thats so sick. congrats on finally getting your motor lol. that is gona be so nice. have you done any more work to the fire wall?

[KQQL IT]

My brother and i put a 6.2l escalade cam in his 5.3 and it run awesome for a 5.3in a 'burban.

[Driveway Dreams]

Looks great man! That is the perfect color. Now, hurry, you are running out of time to get it in the truck! You gonna smooth the engine covers for paint? Give me a call if you want some help.

[bluex]

On the cherry picker.

Northern tool has one on sale untill dec 5 for $159. It is the 2 ton with a free engine load leveler. In store deal only though. Got one saturday myself...
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...5213_200305213

On the clutch fan. I have heard people will take an air hammer on the softest setting and that will break it loose so you can remove it.

Progress looks great. Glad to see your back at it.

[draggin86]

you can barrow my picker if you need to.. let me know..

[mike nutt]

summit racing sells a gm performance muscle car pan kit for the ls motor that works on most any ls conversion. here's a link http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-19212593/ here's a link to jeg's , it's cheaper http://www.jegs.com/i/GM+Performance...12593/10002/-1

[JohnC]

Looks awesome man! Great choice on the color combo. The silver with the red accents will look good in there.

[glock35ipsc]

MONEY SHOT!!!!



You know how big of an itch you are going to have to want to start that thing!?!??!! This is sweet dude, congratulations! I know how anxious you have been to do this.

I like the way you are going on the color. You are right, I was hoping to see more of the red. It is visible, but not what I figured it would be. I guess I forgot that this is not your average small block, where practically EVERYTHING is visible.

You know who you can go to if you have any questions. Should be pretty easy for you to do.

[menace121978]

you guys ROCK!

as for the oil pan, i have to call BRP this morning and MAKE SURE there kit makes it possible to run the stock a/c compressor in the stock location w/o notching the frame for the lines and order the kit. then i can set the motor in and see how far down the oil pan hangs. they say it only hangs down an inch butwe'll see. the BRP mount kit is expensive but i figure after i buy the conversion plates($50) motor mounts($30) and a top mount a/c unit with compressor($300) tranny mount($20) i'm right up there($450 BRP kit) give or take a hundred and i wont have to worry about the tranny crossmember or the bend in the frame with the longer tranny. thoughts??

as for the fan clutch...i'll see about getting a better strap wrench and maybe take the entire pump over to my buddy at the GM dealership and have someone break it loose.

Billy, i'm off tuesday man. i almost called ya this weekend(had the last 4 days off) but being a holiday weekend i didnt want to bother ya out of the blue i'll give you a call this morning.

Gerald, give me your address and i'll just ship'em off to ya!! wont be for awhile that i need them... BTW, GOOD LUCK AT WORK TODAY!!

as for the fire wall! you just HAD to bring it up HUH!? No buddy, i'm dreading the whole body work/ welding deal. i still need to get a welder and fix the floor pan too. maybe i can just ship that out too huh Gerald!